[Quality of life of young women with early breast cancer and their partners: specific needs result in the necessity of development of specific questionnaires for the patient and the partner]. / Qualité de vie des femmes jeunes ayant un cancer du sein localisé et de leur partenaire : nécessité de développement de questionnaires spécifiques pour la patiente et le partenaire.

ABSTRACT

Purpose. To determine the feelings of young women with early breast cancer concomitantly with their partners at different treatment periods in order to create a specific quality of life (QOL) scale for this population. Materiel and methods. It was a prospective, multicentre, qualitative study, in patients younger than 45 years old at diagnosis and living with a partner for at least six months. Patients and partners were interviewed by a psychologist, from the diagnosis disclosure until follow up, using non-directing individual talks. Results. Sixty-nine couples were interviewed. Analyses of the interviews have highlighted the impact of disease on eight dimensions psychological, physical, family, social, couple, sexuality, domestic, professional and economic dimensions. These impacts are mostly negative and are present in all periods and even after treatment for follow up. Discussion. A multidimensional profile of this specific population was established. A QOL scale dedicated to this population is being validated.